Freaky Friday: Temple University

12.30.11

As someone who ‘misplaces’ things often (No, Mom, I didn’t lose my phone, I just can’t find it right now!), I found the ghost in this story from Temple University to be extremely helpful. Whether there is truth behind this tale or not, I will be heading into the New Year hoping to encounter a ghost like this one!

The Conwells

During the early days of Temple University, founder Russell H. Conwell lived in a house on the site where Peabody Hall now stands with his wife, Sarah. Three years after her passing in 1910, Conwell began seeing her spirit in their bedroom. At first he was convinced that his long work hours had caused his eyes to play tricks on him. After several weeks of continuing to see his wife in their house, he finally sought treatment from two different doctors, both of whom attributed the visions to his hectic work life.

Desperate to prove that the vision was real, he asked the spirit for assistance in locating his army discharge papers, which had been lost for 25 years. With the spirit’s help, he located them, stashed behind a bookcase in their library, in a box that had belonged to his late wife.

To further prove the spirit’s existence, he next asked a servant to hide a gold pencil where he wouldn’t readily find it. When his wife came back, she was able to locate it for him on a shelf in their medicine chest.

Sources say that the last time Conwell saw his wife’s spirit was during the same year when she first appeared to him. My guess is that she was there to help him recover what he had lost and when her work was done, she went on her way. What do you think about this story? Do you know other ghostly tales from Temple University? Tell us about them!

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